# Just like LSD, but without the drugs. A really neat optical illusion. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 15, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532 "2010-05-15T11:13:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/1 "2010-05-15T11:13:08Z")
Nothing witty to say. I’ll leave that up to y’all. This is just a really neat optical illusion that makes the room go all wavy and fishbowl-y. Those with a history of epilepsy or seizures best stay away: > **[Strobe Illusion - Hallucinate with this amazing optical illusion!](https://strobe.cool/)** > > You will hallucinate! This mind-melting optical illusion will warp and distort your vision. Hallucinations without drugs! ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/2 "2010-05-15T11:53:24Z")
Aaaagh! Is this a musical table? You can’t catch the wind! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/3 "2010-05-15T17:24:50Z")
Gah!!! Thanks a lot – now I really have a headache. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/4 "2010-05-15T17:45:18Z")
Is that really what LSD is like? Meh. ---
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/5 "2010-05-15T17:50:26Z")
No it’s a lot stronger that lol ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/6 "2010-05-15T17:52:29Z")
LSD’s better. If I was on LSD, I wouldn’t have seen the webpage, I would have heard it. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/7 "2010-05-15T18:00:35Z")
LSD is way better, but you can see similar things while you’re on it. LSD is about way, way more than just “making things look funny.” ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/8 "2010-05-15T20:12:35Z")
It definitely reminds me of certain aspects of the visual hallucinations I have had on shrooms and 2C-E (haven’t done acid though). I’ve also seen optical illusions where the pattern rotates, and causes the rest of your visual field to swirl the other sense when you look away. I’ve also seen optical illusions with a purely black and white strobing image that somehow differentiate into red and green bands. Similarly on shrooms I’ve had shadow and light becoming red and green (though I can’t remember which was which). I wonder if some really smart neuroscientists out there know of some common pathways by which psychedelics and these illusions function. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/9 "2010-05-15T22:41:51Z")
My little girl walked in on me while I was staring at it. She started staring too, then I took her head and moved it to the blank wall. She said, really slowly, “Oh my gosh!” Now she won’t leave me alone. Freaky little addict. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/10 "2010-05-16T01:30:00Z")
I can’t get the video to work. Is it one of those that makes the room go all wavy? ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/11 "2010-05-16T01:57:36Z")
Wow, The SD page kept doing the wave effect for like 10 seconds after I shut it off. Freaky! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/12 "2010-05-16T02:06:22Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I can’t get the video to work. Is it one of those that makes the room go all wavy? Yup, but then there’s a whole bunch of other neat stuff on the page to keep you away from real life for a little while. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/13 "2010-05-16T02:11:04Z")
I find that if I play Rock Band or Guitar Hero intensely for a while, the same effect happens. If I turn my head towards my front window, it looks all “watery.” Anyone else notice this? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/14 "2010-05-16T02:49:21Z")
The page isn’t loading for me. Is the illusion [this one](http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-42.htm)? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/15 "2010-05-16T03:07:54Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The page isn’t loading for me. > > Is the illusion [this one](http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-42.htm)? No, the one in the OP really makes it look like the walls are breathing. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/16 "2010-05-16T03:10:10Z")
It loaded for me this time. Looks similar. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/17 "2010-05-17T05:21:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The page isn’t loading for me. > > Is the illusion [this one](http://www.optillusions.com/dp/1-42.htm)? That one didn’t work. I mean, the page worked – but I didn’t get the promised effect from it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/18 "2010-05-17T05:24:04Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > That one didn’t work. I mean, the page worked – but I didn’t get the promised effect from it. ☹ I got an effect, but it wasn’t the one promised. What does it mean if I shift my gaze to the wall and suddenly blue two headed demons erupt out of the wall and eat my eyeballs? ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/19 "2010-05-17T06:10:55Z")
Not so much LSD, in my opinion, but the visual effect was not dissimilar to what one would experience with mushrooms. Any way, it was cool. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532/20 "2010-05-17T06:37:30Z")
Huh…neato frito. But I believe that acid or even 'shrooms produce way more interesting hallucinations. Not that I know personally or anything. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-lsd-but-without-the-drugs-a-really-neat-optical-illusion/539532.md?page=2)